China face Korea in the final of the AtaHolding Champions Challenge, with USA and England playing for third place. New Zealand play Azerbaijan in the 5th / 6th place play-off match on Day 6 of the AtaHolding Champions Challenge in Baku.
5th / 6th Play-Off: New Zealand V Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan – unlucky not to claim at least a point in their five matches so far this tournament – will be hoping that they can finish on a high with victory over New Zealand in the first match of the day. New Zealand have had a poor tournament by their own standards, but showed glimmers of form in Saturday’s match against Korea. New Zealand will be favourites, having beaten their opponents in the Pool Match, but Azerbaijan are more than capably of getting a positive result.
Bronze Medal Match: USA V England
USA and England have both scored more points than any other team in Champions Challenge history, with 30 points each, and the winner today will move ahead of the other. Historical facts aside, there is a bronze medal up for grabs. The two teams could not be separated in the Pool Match, thanks to an equaliser three minutes from the end of the game by April FRONZONI. However, USA have had a better tournament than England, finishing third in the league and securing a victory over Gold Medal favourites China.
Gold Medal Match: China V Korea
With a place in the next year’s Champions Trophy up for grabs, the Gold Medal match between China and Korea is expected to be fiercely contested. With the Beijing Olympics just around the corner, both teams will want to be playing in the elite competition next year. China have the upper hand after victory in the pool match, but if Korea rediscover their early tournament form then the match might be a lot closer than people expect.
Results, league tables and match reports will be updated throughout the day on this site. You can watch Live Commentaries of all today’s matches by clicking on the “Launch Commentary” button on the homepage.
